Direct Relief to Expand Vaccine Capacity in Haiti

Two years after the tragic 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, Direct Relief today announced that it will significantly expand the vaccine-storage capacity in Haiti as part of its ongoing humanitarian health assistance efforts in the country.

Over the past two years, Direct Relief has provided over 1,000 tons of life-saving medications and medical supplies valued at over $70 million wholesale and continues to provide its medical distribution program serving 115 hospitals and clinics across Haiti.

“The expansion of vaccine storage is just one among many parts of healthcare infrastructure that are essential and require continued attention and support,” said Brett Williams, Director of International Programs for Direct Relief. “The two-year marker provides a moment to look back, but it’s also a sharp reminder that for all the progress that has been made and efforts expended, severe needs exist and much more remains to be done.”

Direct Relief’s expanded humanitarian health efforts since the 2010 quake followed more than 40 years of ongoing support in Haiti. The organization received over $6.7 million in contributions following the earthquake from more than 25,000 people and extensive support in the form of in-kind goods and services valued at over $70 million, including transportation from FedEx and specifically- requested medications, vaccine, and medical supplies from over 130 healthcare companies.

Consistent with the organization’s longstanding practice, all Direct Relief medical contributions have been approved by the Ministry of Health in Haiti for importation. The organization also developed and has published online the precise location of each medical donation in a highly-detailed interactive map to ensure transparency and prevent duplication of effort.

The organization established an online ordering system for medical commodities and a nationwide distribution system now used by over 115 health facilities, which proved essential in mobilizing, allocating, and rapidly distributing medical supplies in response to the cholera outbreak that has claimed 7,000 lives since its onset in October of last year.

Approximately two-thirds of the funds raised have been spent to mount an expansive post-quake emergency medical-supply program, a cash-grant program for local Haitian community groups, and essential funding for both prosthetics and rehabilitative services in-country to meet the increased demand caused by the catastrophic event. With all remaining funds committed to long-term recovery, Direct Relief intends to remain in Haiti for as long as necessary.

Over these past two years, more than 25,000 donors gave to Direct Relief to help the people of Haiti. Recently ranked by Forbes magazine as one of the twenty most efficient large charities in the United States, Direct Relief honors that commitment by ensuring 100% of those donations are used exclusively to help people in Haiti whose lives remain threatened by sickness, disease, and injury. For more information, please visit www.DirectRelief.org.

Haiti Fact Sheet:

Below is more information about the work that Direct Relief has engaged in with its partners in Haiti:

Getting the right medicines in the right hands: An effective and efficient distribution system built on four decades of work in Haiti has been aided by Direct Relief’s new online ordering system. Using a state-of-the-art, commercial grade IT backbone, Direct Relief created the only charitable online ordering platform for Haitian healthcare providers to efficiently order and receive medications and supplies at no cost to them.

Ensuring access to long-term rehabilitation services: Direct Relief granted $700,000 to Healing Hands for Haiti International— the only Haitian physical-rehabilitation organization providing services before the earthquake—to ensure rehabilitative services for people who were injured in the earthquake. After Healing Hands’ clinic was destroyed in the earthquake, Direct Relief’s grant allowed Healing Hands to open a new facility where ongoing care has been provided to 863 adults and 424 children who were injured and needed long-term treatment after the earthquake. An additional 99 patients who suffered spinal cord injuries have also received care and rehabilitation from Healing Hands.

Supporting Local Organizations: International aid groups received over $2 billion in donations for Haiti yet many smaller local groups still struggle to access funding. That’s why Direct Relief established a Community Grant Fund to provide over $630,000 to local, Haitian-run organizations responding to the needs of their communities. More than 500,000 people have benefitted from the work of these grassroots local groups who have, among other things, provided more than 1,000 children with schooling, cared for 500 orphans (many of whom with special needs), and trained community health workers to work in areas that previously lacked access to health care.

Fighting Cholera: Cholera had been absent in Haiti for over 50 years when, late last year, an outbreak occurred – just as many aid agencies were winding down emergency earthquake operations. Tragically, cholera claimed 7,000 lives and continues as a threat but, fortunately, Direct Relief never left Haiti and has provided enough medical supplies and equipment to treat 100,000 people and prevent further loss of life. Cholera, and the response to it, exemplifies both the challenges and progress in Haiti.

Helping Women and Babies: Haiti has the highest prevalence of maternal mortality, infant mortality, and HIV infection in the Western Hemisphere. Pregnancy and its complications have become the leading cause of death and disability among mothers, and 86 out of 1,000 babies die during their first year. These interventions include expanding access to safe deliveries by training and equipping traditional birth attendants and midwives, addressing complications in birth with emergency obstetric care, and enrolling mothers into the Prevention of Maternal-to-Child Transmission of HIV program. By targeting eight health centers strategically located in eight of the ten departments (or states) in Haiti, Direct Relief will reach a population of 563,000, including approximately 60,000 pregnant women.